N'djamena (Fides Service) - Can the exploitation of oil resources in Chad favour development of one of the poorest countries of Africa? This is the question raised by the Jesuit Study Centre for Formation for Development CEFOD www.cefod.org sponsored by the Jesuits in N'djamena. After thirty years of exploration and the discovery of oil, in October 2000, one of the most impressive oil works in Africa was started with the support of the World Bank: 1.070 kilometres of oil pipeline from Chad to Cameroon. To eliminate poverty is the main objective of Chad's leaders but the challenge is immense and it would be ingenuous to think that income from oil will automatically mean development for the nation. The technology and capital invested do not belong to the local people who have no influence on the decisions taken by multinational companies involved in the exploitation.
"There were a series of failures in the building of the pipeline - reports Antoine Berilengar SJ in the CEFOD magazine Chad and Culture. In particular the weakness of local businesses the management of work contracts and environment; growing inflation; lack of competence on the part of the locals; degradation of social life…all these problems can seriously jeopardise development unless they are faced correctly". CEFOD recalls that the existence of democratic and decentralised structures, a good government, valid economic and social policies as well as access to market for the poor, are basic conditions for the country's development.
The study centre CEFOD, was opened in 1966 to meet the need to form Chad's cadres in the economic and social sectors. SL (Fides Service 1/4/2003 EM lines 19 Words: 269)